Ironing board



A. J. WILLIAMS IRONING BOARD Filed 001;. 25, 1928 INVENTOR 144360 1477 001725 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1930 i r Anrnnna. wrLLiAMs, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON IROINING BOARD Application filed October 25, 1928. Serial no} 314,899.

My invention has referei'ice to improvements in ironing boards .oftlre folding variety, and its objects, generally stated, are:

Toprovide a'device ofthis character,havm5 ing, in. connection, with asingle and folding leg, a pair of folding legs which are divergent when operatively disposed but Which automatically converge when the legs are placed in closed positions, and all foldable within n1 the compass of and against the body portion, thus adding" to its'compac'tness and serving to support the. legs and connecting parts against strain when the board is subjected to handling while in folded condition Further, to provide a board which maybe instantlyadjusted to a height which will aceommodate'it to'the requirements ofthe user;

Further, to provides construction in such a device which will permit all play to betaken -1.2 up in its pivotal connections, when in use, and thereby assureto the user at all times a substantialand solid -Working surface; and,

Further, such additional objects, adverb tages and capabilities as will later more fully msu appear. 1 i Inthe8.0001111)anylngdl't-Wlng Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device complete, and in open position; 1

Fig. 2, a view drawn along the line 2- 133? of Fig. 1, portions being shown in crosssection andin elevation, p

Fig. 3, a view, partly in cross section, drawn along the line 3+3, of Fig. 1,"portions of a singlebnt bifurcated leg'of the device 151? being shown as broken away;

Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the device in folded position; and, V

' Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the body portion of the device, denoted as 1, is provided, in the present embodiment of the invention, with a portion 2 reduced in width, which is useful in; ironing sleeves, or the like, but as will be obvious, it

Ii may be of any other suitable form. A pair of hangers, each designated as 3, are-bolted to the body portion'and disposed in spaced relation. Said hangers, in common with the other paits't'o be described are located on or extend from the undersidelof the body portion. WVhat term as the single leg of the device, generally denoted asi, consists of a pair of members 5 bolted together, as at 6, to form at one end a leg which is provided witha beveled foot portionT, and bifurcated at the other end and pivotally mounted in said hangers, as is more particularly -illus-' trated in Fig, i, by the bolts 8.

A pair of bracket members, of metallic construction, are secured to the body-portion and adjacent the hangers, the same beingoppositely disposed and extended longitudinally of said portion, in spaced parallel relation. Each is of identical construction, and comprises a body member 10, whiohcarries a right angular portion 11, through which thememher is secured in place, asindicated in Fig. 2. Said member is also provided with an elongated slot 12, horizontally disposed, which terminates at one end in a curved slot 13 havinga plurality of teeth 14 extending in a like curve and spaced away from the lower edge thereof; J

Arod 15, having at each end retainer-:16

is slidablymountedin the members last de scribed and isoperable therein in a manner which will presently appear. Aslink 1 7, is

fixedly secured at'one'end tosaidrod, and

centrally thereof, as more particularly appears n Fig. 4, and is reduced in thickness at the other end, as at 18, to provide a con venient handle, the link being held in a'horizontal position against the ,bodyportion by the keep'er19. This link, including itsfunctions and mode of operation,will be" described with more particularity hereinafteri o As detailed in'Fig; 2, a. pair of legs, e ach denoted as 20, areswingingly and slidably mounted on the rod 15 by the scre'wl eyes 21,

secured inthe upper endof' each leg, said legs being disposed on either side of the link 17, and the head of the link, immediately connected with the rod, serving as a spacing element therefor. Each legis pivotally connected with the leg 4 by a bolt 22, secured in place, and bears upon and rotates overa wedge-shaped block 23, fixedly secured to the last-named leg. The pivotal connections lastdescribed are designed to permit a slight play in. the legs so that they willworkrfreely.

1 device.

As it may be noted in Fig. 1, when the board is in open and operative position the rod 15 is engaged on either side by a pair of oppositely disposed teeth 14, which serve to hold the same securely insaid position. When it is desired to vary the height of the device, the adjustment therefor may be effected by the user grasping the handle 18 of the link, when, by reason of the clearance between said teeth and the slot 13 and the fact that said rod is fixedly secured to the link, the link may be manipulated by pressing the handle 18 toward the body portion so as to disengage the rod from the teeth and the rod may be then brought forwardly so as to engage another pair of teeth, thus lowering the board.

The plurality of teeth provided for this purpose and disposed'as they are in a curved line extending downwardly as shown in Fig. 1-,-in cooperation withthe pivotal connections of the legs and the other connecting "elements shown and described, will permit a considerable variance in the height of the The board may be folded by releasing said rod from the teeth with which it is en gaged, through manipulation of the" link as just described, and forcing the rod, by said link, to enter the horizontal and parallel slots 12, when the legs may be collapsed. The

link-also serves to hold the rod in free sliding engagement with said slots and likewise the slots 13, and is instrumental also. in keeping the pair of legs in alignmentso that they can be folded without binding or inconvenience. As the folding operation proceeds,

said pair of legs, by virtue ofthe wedgeshaped blocks on which they act and their swinging and sliding connections with the rod, will gradually converge at their-lower ends and diverge attheir upper ends, and when the-board is completely folded, said legs,

together with the single leg, willoccupy the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and, wherein thelegs are, located within thelimits of the "body portion and rest thereon. Then the device is thus folded, it may behandled, or easily placed in condition for shipping, without danger of springing the legs orconnection.

The device may be adjusted for height also,

tions, and it is in'a most compact and convenient-form for these purposes. r l

Theboard may also be folded in other ways, as for instance, it may be placed on its larger end, to relieve the legs of weight and tomake the linkmore accessible, and on release of the rod from the teeth securing it in place, the legs will readily fold up against the body porby the user placing a foot against the free end'of the single leg, whenthe board is in operative positiomand raising the body portion until the rodlis free of the teeth in which it is engaged, then when the user permits said leg" to slide forwardly a Shortdistance the of the cycle of operations described.

The spread of the legs is the chief factor in determining the height of the device, but said teeth, inaddition to their function as catch elements for the rod, also serve, on account of the curved line on which they extend as shown, to compensate for the difference in the lengths of the single leg and the pair of legs as they extend upwardly from their pivotal connections each with the other, and'the positions they assume in their pivotalmovements. curing-and maintaining the body portion in a level position when the device is operatively disposed, and as the legs have a three-point.

contact with the floor on which they stand,

they will accommodate themselves to a sur-. "face which might be somewhat uneven and Said teeth are thus important in se-.

stillsupport the body portion in said position. The legs, being triangularly arranged, re-

ceive the stresses and strains incident to the use of such a device mainly in a longltudmal direction, and they, in" conjunction with their connecting elements, asdescribed, obviously will take up lost motion in the parts, caused through wear or otherwise, when pressure is applied to the body portion, and thus provide a solid and practically permanent basis therefor. p I

Also, the disposition of the parts issuch as to afford a body portion having an under side free from obstructions for the. ma or part of itslength, which makes the device particularly efficacious andhandywhen ironing dresses and large articles.

" Ghangesin and modifications of the construction described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, hence I ask that I be not confined to the specific structure set forth.

' r I claim: I

1. An ironing board,.comprising a body portion, a pair of members secured to the body portion in spaced parallel relation, each carrying a horizontal slot terminating in. a downwardly curved and toothed slot, almk, havlng at one end andextending equal distances therefrom a fixedly secured and transversely extending rod mounted in said members and at the other end a handle, a keeper secured to the under side of the body portion and adapted to provide 'a-sliding connection for the link with the body portion, abifurcated leg pivotally connected with the body portion, Wedge-shaped blocks fixedly secured on opposite sides of the leg, and a pair of legs pivotally secured to the first leg and rotatable on the blocks, each having a swinging and sliding connection with the rod and being to the body portion and adapted to provide a sliding connection for the intermediate portion of the link with the body portion, a

leg, having a bifurcated end hingedly secured to the body portion. a wedge-shaped block secured on each side of the leg, a pair of legs pivotally secured to the first leg and rotatable on the blocks, and a swinging and sliding connection for each of the last-named legs with the rod.

3. In an ironing board, having a' body portion and a single leg pivotally secured thereto. a pair of bracket members having slotted and notched portions secured to the underside of the body portion in spaced parallel relation, a link, having at oneend a fixedly secured and transversely extending rod mounted in the bracket members and engageable with said slotted and notched portions, a keeper,

adapted to provide a sliding connection for the intermediate portion of the link with the body portion, a wedge-shaped block fixedly secured on each side of the leg and oppositely disposed, a. pair of legs straddling the first leg and pivotally connected with the blocks, and a swinging and sli ding connection for each leg of the pair of legs with the rod.

4. In an ironing board, having a body portion and a single leg pivotally secured thereto,

a pair of members secured to the body portion in spaced parallel relation, each having a depending body portion carrying a horizontal slot terminating in a downwardly curvedslot, the last-named slot being providedwith a plurality of overhanging teeth, a member, slidably engaged with the first-named body portion, a rod, fixedly secured in the lastnamed member and slidably engaged with the first-named members, a wedge-shaped block fixedly secured on each side of the leg and a pair of legs, each pivotally connected with the first leg and bearing on one of said blocks, and provided with a swinging and sliding connection with the rod.

5. In a folding ironing board, having a body portion, a pair of bracket members secured 'to the body portion, a link, slidably engaged with the body portion, a rod fixedly secured to the link and slidably mounted in the members-F21 singleleg tvetallysecnred to the body portion, a pair straddling-the single leg andpivotal-ly' connected therewith, an inclined bearing fioi -each oi; the; of legs-1 and; on. which the same adapted to rotate, 5 an. annutar connecting member tor each of the l-ast-namedtlegs with. the rod which pgerniit said legs. toiswing, longitudinazllyoi thebody. portionand. are adapted, in cooperation .withz the inclined. hearings, to cause thej freeends of pair otdegs to converge when the: ironingboard. i being folded" and to diverge Whengsaid. board is being placed in openpositio-na 6-..In. an. ironing; board, having a body portionand ajsingle leg pi-votal'ly secured thereto, a pairof brackets secured. totlie. body portion andoppositely disposed, eachbeing provided with a horizontal. slot.- terminating in a downwardly curvedsl;ot,.said. emu-ed'slot having? overhanging notches, single leg piv rotally mounted on" the body: portioina pair of legs straddling the. single leg, and pivotally connected therewith, a. rod slidably engage.- able Withthe brackets,,anda swinging and sliding connection'lfor each-oi the pair of legs. with the rod,.,'said rod, incooperati on with the brackets and the legs, beingradapted. to establish andmaintaimtlrebody portion in a level position and in adjusted positions for varying its height.

7 In an ironing board, having a body portion and a single leg pivoted thereto, a pair of spaced members secured to the body portion, each having a horizontal slot terminat ing in a curved and notched slot, arod slidably engageable in said slots, a pair of legs straddling the single leg and pivoted thereto,

swinging connections for said pair of legs with therod,'the portions of the pair of legs. extending above their pivotal connections with the single leg being of equal length relative to the other but of adifierent length than the similarly disposedportion of the single leg, the curved and notched slot being adapted, in cooperation with the rod engageable therein, to compensate for the difference in said lengths of the legs and to establish and maintain the body portion in level and heightadjusted positions.

body portion and a single leg pivoted thereto, a pair of spaced members secured to the body portion, each having an elongated slot, a rod slidably engaging the slots, a pair of diverg-;

ent legs swingingly and slidably engaging the rodand pivoted to the single leg, an inclined bearing for each leg of the pair and on which it is adapted to rotate, said legs being ironing board, being adapted to converge so 8. In a folding ironing board, having a adapted to be spread oricontracted for vary- 1.25

as tobe disposed Within the limits of the body portion when folded.

9.' In a folding ironing board, having a body portion and a single leg pivoted thereto, 7 5 a pair of spaced members secured to the body portion, eachhaving an elongatedslot, a rod sildably engaging both slots, a pair of legs swingingly engaging the rod and pivoted to the single leg, the pair of legs being adapted to rotatably and slidably engage-said rod, and a bearing for each leg of the pair ada ted tocause a convergence of the free ends 0 the pair of legs Whensaid legs are folded.

: 10. In a folding ironing board, having a body portion and folding supportingmeans at one end of the body portion; means 'connected with the body portion for supporting a rod transversely of said portion, a rod slidably mounted in the last-named means, a i 2 pair of legs swinginglyandslidably engaging the rod and pivoted to the first-named means, and an inclined bearing for each leg of the pair interposed between each of said legs and the first-named means, adapted, in coopera- "25 tion with'the slidable engagement provided for said legs with the rod, to cause the free ends ofs'aid'legs to automatically converge when the ironing board is folded. e v I ALFRED -J. WILLIAMS. 

